Opening Reception Friday January 11, 2008 6-9 PM Free and Open to Public

Closing Reception Friday February 22, 2008 6-9 PM Free and Open to Public

Denis Gaston

Hot Tea

The energy and vitality of camellia sinensis lie dormant until acted upon by the fire element. An infusing takes place as what once was potential becomes manifest. One drinks a good cup of tea and nothing is ever quite the same again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOT TEA

 

 

 

Early in the morning of December 9, a horrific fire swept through mine and fourteen other artist’s studios in Dunedin. In a very short time, my entire inventory of art and the tools and materials to create new work were completely destroyed; eighty pieces of art, with some going back twenty years.

 

Next day, while surveying the damage, I spotted my favorite tea cup, a wonderful raku- fired cup by Georgia potter Michael Simon. It sat blackened and alone atop the charred remains of my desk. In awe that anything had survived the inferno, I carried the cup home and placed it on the shelf with other pottery.

 

After a few days of enjoying its refired beauty, I decided to test the cup’s major function, holding tea. Hot water pooling on the counter told me it had not come through intact.

 

I took the cup with me to a temporary studio graciously provided by the City of Dunedin. More than anything, I wanted to again make art, but grief became a roadblock against inspiration. Staring for long periods at the stout container that accompanied me through many creative journeys, I longed for a hot cup of tea. And so, slowly at first, savoring the process, I began to paint.

 

 

Denis Gaston

January, 2008

 

 

 

Denis Gaston

324 Scotland St., #2

Dunedin , FL 34698

727 733-1688

dgaston@ij.net

Selected Exhibitions

 

One Person Exhibitions

 

2007 “Denis Gaston, Recent Work,” Galleries at Salt Creek, St. Petersburg, FL

2007 “Denis Gaston, New Paintings,” City Hall Gallery, Clearwater, FL

2004 “Denis Gaston, The Body as a Vessel,” The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL

2001 “Denis Gaston, Recent Work,” OB Gallery, Ozona Beach, FL

2000 “Denis Gaston, New Work,” Fusion Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL

1999 “7 Sisters: Denis Gaston Paintings,” TECO Art Gallery, Tampa, FL

1997 “Denis Gaston Paintings,” Pinellas Center for the Arts, St. Petersburg, FL

1996 “Denis Gaston: Ten Years,” Octagon Art Gallery, Clearwater, FL

1994 “Denis Gaston, Recent Work,” Donn Roll Art Gallery, Sarasota, FL

1991 “Denis Gaston, Drawings,” Scarfone Gallery, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL

1988 “Denis Gaston: Pastels,” TECO Art Gallery, Tampa, FL

1988 “The Second Coming: Drawings by Denis Gaston,” Florida Gulf Coast Art

Center, Belleair, FL

 

Two Person Exhibitions

 

1997 “Denis Gaston and Candace Garrett,” Galleries at Salt Creek, St. Petersburg, FL

1990 “Denis Gaston, Joy Brace, New Work,” Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

1989 “Bede Clark, Ceramics and Denis Gaston, Drawing,” Elliott Gallery, Eckerd College,

St. Petersburg, FL

1988 “Denis Gaston and Jane Jaskevich,” Clayton Gallery, Tampa FL

1988 “Robert Calvo, Sculpture, Denis Gaston, Drawing,” The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL

 

Group Exhibitions

 

2007 “At Home With Art,” Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL

2006 “’34689’ Exhibition,” Blue Moon Gallery, Tarpon Springs, FL

2005 “Unwrapped,” Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Dunedin, FL

2003 “Dwellings,” Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Dunedin, FL

2003 “Making Faces,” traveling exhibition, Pinellas County Schools, FL

2003 “Four + Two,” Galleries at Salt Creek, St. Petersburg, FL

1999 “Mayfaire Masters,” Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, FL

1999 “Works of Southeast and Florida Artists from the Permanent Collection,” Gulf Coast

Museum of Art, Largo, FL

1998 “ Florida Biennial III,” Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Belleair, FL

1997 “Undercurrent/Overview: Recent Work by Tampa Bay Artists,” Tampa Museum

of Art, Tampa, FL

1997 “Works from the Permanent Collection,” Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, FL

1995 “May Show,” Arts-On-The-Park Gallery, Lakeland, FL

1994 “Contemporary Drawing,” Elliott Gallery, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

1994 “Small Works Invitational,” Valencia Junior College, Orlando, FL

1993 “Major Florida Artists Show,” Foster Harmon Galleries, Sarasota, FL

1992 “Present & Future Tense, Florida Fellowship Artists,” The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL

1992 “Contemporary Works by Florida Artists from the Permanent Collection,” Polk Museum

of Art, Lakeland, FL

1991 “ Florida, State of the Arts,” South Florida Art Center, Miami Beach, FL

1991 “All Florida Exhibition of Contemporary Art,” The Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL

1991 “Contemporary Print Invitational,” Elon College, Elon, NC

1990 “Red Clay Survey,” Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL

1990 “Annual Juried Exhibition,” Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL

1990 “ Florida’s Finest: Florida Fellowship Artists,” traveling exhibition, Center of

Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL, Capitol Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

1988 “ Tampa Triennial: A Juried Show of Southeast Artists,” Tampa Museum

of Art, Tampa, FL

1988 “Influences from the Untaught: Contemporary Drawings,” The Drawing Center,

New York, NY

1987 “ Gulf Coast Biennial,” Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, FL

1987 “Fantasy Landscapes: Landscape Images by Southeast Artists,” Tampa Museum

West, Tampa, FL

1987 “Encore Eight,” Ruth Eckerd Hall Gallery, Clearwater, FL

1987 “Three from St. Pete: Robert Schott, Denis Gaston, Celeste Simon,” Art Expressions

Gallery, Melbourne, FL

1986 “The Artist’s Self/Autobiographics: Self Portraits by Southeast Artists,” Florida

Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, FL

1986 “Summer Sizzler,” Ruth Eckerd Hall Gallery, Clearwater, FL

 

 

Museum and Public Art Collections

 

Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, FL

Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo, FL

State of Florida, Art in State Buildings Collection, Largo, FL

Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL

Pinellas County Center for The Arts, St.Petersburg, FL

Pinellas County Arts Council Art Collection, Clearwater, FL

Pinellas County Art in Public Places Collection, Clearwater, FL

Corporate Art Collections

 

Raymond James Financial Corporation, St. Petersburg, FL

Holland & Knight Law Firm, Tampa, FL

West & Company Advertising, Tampa, FL

Tampa Bay Magazine, Clearwater, FL

Renew Life Company, Palm Harbor, FL

 

 

Fellowships

 

2007 Pinellas County Division of Cultural Affairs, Artist Enhancement Grant

1995 Pinellas County Arts Council, Artist Enhancement Grant

1990 Pinellas County Arts Council, Artist Resource Fund Grant

1989 State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship

 

 

 

Selected Bibliography

 

2007 “Art Smart,” St. Petersburg Times, Bill Coats, November 16

2007 “A Stroke of Inspiration,” Flair Magazine, Tampa, FL, Jenny Carey, October

2003 “Denis Gaston, Artist,” Imago Magazine, Dunedin, FL, Alan Mock, May

1998 "Art Lovers Guide To Florida,” Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL, Anne Jeffrey

1996 “An Artist True To Himself,” St. Petersburg Times, Mary Ann Marger, July 5

1994 " Dunedin Artist Steps Out of The Shadows,” St. Pete Times, Mary Ann Marger, Feb. 11

1991 "Denis Gaston's Artistic Vision," St. Petersburg Times, Mary Ann Marger, Oct. 25

1991 "A Warm Welcome for Some Cool Art," St. Petersburg Times, Mary Ann Marger, July 19

1990 "Brilliant Colors of Faith," Seikyo Times, Terry Ellis, Los Angeles, CA, October

1989 "Raising Eyebrows," Lakeland Ledger, Lakeland, FL, Paul Rybinski, May 18

1988 "An Artist Struggles Free," St. Petersburg Times, Mary Ann Marger, July 8

1987 "Encore 8 Exhibition Is A Heady Mix," St. Petersburg Times, Charles Benbow, June 5

1987 "Denis Gaston: Pastel Artist," Suncoast Arts Review, Clearwater, FL, Sabine Haas, June

1986 “Summer Sizzler Shines,” St. Petersburg Independent, Jeanette Crane, July 4

 

Teaching Experience

 

2005 Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

1996 Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo, FL

1994 Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, FL

1993 Studio 1212, Clearwater, FL

1993 Berkley Preparatory School, Tampa, FL

1993 Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

1992 Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

1991 Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

1990 St. Paul's School, Largo, FL

1989 Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

 

 

Education

 

1965-1968 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, BA Graphic Design